He studied Painting and Scenography at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Bologna.

In 1981, jointly with Claudia Castellucci and Chiara Guidi, he founded Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio.

He has directed numerous productions, of which he is the author, the director, the designer of the set, the light and the costumes.

Known as a theatre author aiming the total of the arts as an integral perception, he has also written several theoretical essays on staging based on his own theatre's experience. His work suggests dramatic choices, not according to the primacy of literature, making theater become a plastic art, complex and full of visions.

Since 2011, he has worked on the creation of individual projects, independent of the Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio.

For the Salzburger Festspiele 2018 he directed and designed Strauss' Salome at the Felsenreitschule.

Season 18/19 include Die Zauberflöte at Théâtre de La Monnaie in Brussels in coproduction with Opera de Lille, the new production of Alessandro Scarlatti's Il Primo Omicidio at Palais Garnier, A Paixão (Matthäus Passion) by J. S. Bach at Centro Cultural Belem in Lisbon, Mozart's Requiem at Festival d'Aix-En-Provence 2019 and the revival of Salome at Salzburger Festspiele while in November 2019 he revived Il primo omicidio at Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin and Jeanne au Bûcher at Theatre de la Monnaie.

In 2005 Romeo Castellucci was appointed director of the Theatre section of the Venice Biennale. In 2008, he was appointed "associate artist" by the artistic direction of the Festival d'Avignon for it's 62nd edition.

He has received various awards and honours, worthwhile mentioning: In 1996 he received the Prix Europa for Nuova Realtà Teatrale. In 2002, he was appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture of the French Republic. In 2013, the Venice Biennale awarded him the Golden Lion for his entire career. In 2014, the Alma Mater Studiorum of the University of Bologna awarded him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in the Music and Theatre disciplines. In 2014 Opernwelt magazine nominated him Best Opera Director and in 2017 his production Jeanne Au Bûcher was the Winner of the Best Production award.